


Paradise

by ReverseMousetrap



Series: After The Gold Rush [6]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Series epilogue, So fluffy I'm gonna die, gayperion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 08:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15769968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReverseMousetrap/pseuds/ReverseMousetrap
Summary: Vaughn wonders about the future. Rhys is there to reassure him.





	Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Title and general theme semi-inspired by [Paradise (What About Us?)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy6MpsDPKts) by Within Temptation.
> 
> This is the last story for the series, at least chronologically - I might still do more oneshots in this continuity. But for now...commence the fluff.

Rhys paused in the middle of clambering up the rock face to catch his breath and flick the hair out of his eyes, looking out at the view. These days the Valley of Helios stayed lit up through the night, an oasis of peace in the Pandoran desert, but the sunsets were still as dramatic as ever. Several feet above, he could see the familiar shape of his overlook, the smooth-worn rocks catching the last of the sunlight – and just as he’d hoped, Vaughn was there watching over the camp.

“Hey, that’s my spot,” he called out gently as he made it to the top. The other man didn’t look back from where he sat slumped over and cross-legged, but wrapped the blanket tighter around his shoulders to make some room on the ground.

“I’ve been looking for you all afternoon,” Rhys continued. He dropped down lightly to sit next to his friend, dangling both legs over the edge. “I was starting to get worried.”

“Sorry.” Vaughn’s voice was quiet and a little hoarse. Rhys glanced sideways at him, discreetly checking his face for any evidence of tears and feeling relieved when he found none. All the same, he bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from talking any more, and followed his friend’s gaze to the outline of the ruined space station.  

“You were right,” said Vaughn at last, hands twisting in his lap. “Nice place to think.”

He reached over cautiously to rest an arm across his boyfriend’s shoulders, feeling relieved when the other man leaned into him a little. “What’s up?”

“Just wondering what I’m doing here.” Vaughn sighed. “I guess I was overdue for an existential crisis.”

The light was fading over the horizon by inches, the sky darkening to a deep blue.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not much to say.” To Rhys’ surprise, Vaughn stretched out his legs along the warm stone and rolled onto his back, moving to rest his head in his lap. Apparently he’d picked up a few habits from their cat.

“It was so _dark_ ,” said Vaughn. “When Helios came down. But there were so many stars…” He lifted a finger to trace out some constellation that only he could see, lost to the floodlights.

Rhys remembered. He’d once crawled through the sand, half-blind and delirious, trying to find his way under an alien sky.

“You should be proud, bro,” he said. “You built this from nothing.”

“What is ‘this’?” Vaughn scoffed. “What’s the point?”

“You saved their lives, Vaughn. Isn’t that enough?”

“We’re like a bunch of purebred lapdogs trying to remember how to be wolves.”

“Hey, those little bastards are tough. I got bit by one in grade school.” As he stroked Vaughn’s hair, Rhys noticed the strands of grey at both temples for the first time, and it sent a stab of guilt through his stomach. Vaughn could have had an easy life if it wasn’t for him. Instead he’d followed him through hell and out the other side, only to become the hero he didn’t deserve.

“I like our new lives,” said Rhys, and he meant it.

“It’s different for you,” Vaughn replied. “These people don’t really need me anymore. You have Atlas, y’know? You have a purpose.”

“Just say the word and half of it’s yours, bro.”

Vaughn’s brow furrowed, but he couldn’t hide a tiny lopsided smile. “Are you proposing to me?”

“What? I –” Rhys could feel the blood rushing to his face. “No, I mean, I just – if you wanted to work for me – no, _with_ me –”

“Chill out. I know what you meant.” A hand came up to stroke his cheek affectionately. “And I know you could use someone who can actually balance a budget.”

“Heh. Yeah.” He had no argument against that. Prototyping had turned out to be a whole lot more involved than Rhys had expected, at least if he didn’t want any workplace injuries on his hands.

Vaughn looked wistful. “One of these days I’ll take you up on that. I do kinda miss math.”

A cool breeze wound around them both, and when Rhys nodded in the direction of home he encountered no disagreement. They stood; he slipped his hand into Vaughn’s, finding warmth and security, and they made their way down the long, winding path in the kind of darkness that meant peace instead of fear.

“Being a CEO was all I ever wanted,” Rhys said at last. “I thought it would come naturally, but…man.”

“Really?” Vaughn looked up, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. “You always seem so confident. Like you’re handling everything totally cool.”

He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head as he turned to face his boyfriend. “To tell you the truth? I have no idea what I’m doing. All I know is I want to do it with you.”

It wasn’t until Vaughn started snickering that he realised what he’d just said, and he pouted at the accidental screw-up of his heartfelt confession even as he was pulled into a hug.

“You _sure_ you’re not proposing to me?” Vaughn teased.

“Seems like you’re kind of asking me to at this point,” answered Rhys, one eyebrow raised.

“Maybe.” He leaned into Rhys’ chest, rubbing circles on his back. “Maybe I’ll surprise you first.”

“Hey now. Let’s not rush into things,” he said, not quite able to stop himself from grinning. “We barely know each other.”

“Come home with me, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” murmured Vaughn before pulling him down into a slow, lingering kiss that Rhys somehow knew he would never forget as long as they lived.

“Vaughn…” he said quietly. “I mean it. This place, this life…it wouldn’t mean anything without you. Whatever it takes, I want to make you happy.”

“Bro…” Vaughn looked up, undisguised adoration in his eyes. “I _am_ happy.”


End file.
